


fit for a King

by Lumau



Category: Shades of Magic - V. E. Schwab
Genre: Canon Gay Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Suggestive, Swearing, are the best, fingers crossed, i really want this to happen, not sure if it will though, sweet morning feels, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:34:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27769138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumau/pseuds/Lumau
Summary: Some months after ACOL Rhy and Alucard share their bed and an intimate conversation about their future.T-Rating for swearing and mildly suggestive content
Relationships: Alucard Emery/Rhy Maresh
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	fit for a King

**Author's Note:**

> It has been a while since I last read SoM, so I hope this isn't too wildly absurd and ooc :D

Th e world slowly comes into focus as his eyes adjust to the darkness. 

Alucard  sighs, rolling his head over on the soft pillow.  


In the stream of dim light entering through a slit in the thick velvet curtains he can make out the shadow of the figure that has sunken onto the mattress next to him. 

With a low groan he stretches one heavy arm out to curl it around the other's waist, letting his fingers wander into the warmth under the tunic.  


Rhy turns to face him,  a soft smile on  his face. 

  
“Sorry I woke you up” the king whispers and leans over to kiss his lover.

Alucard tries pulling him down  onto the bed next to him, but his muscles are too tired and render the effort useless. 

  
Rhy laughs against his lips and  sits up again.

"Just a moment."

  
He takes a  swig of the wine he  is holding, shaking his head at Alucard, who has perked up and stretches out his hand for the glass. 

"Oh, you're getting yourself drugged again? Come on, share some of Tieren's stuff with me."

Alucard tries to insist, but Rhy has already set the glass down onto the small table by the bed and stops further protest with a deep kiss.  


  
He shruggs off his shirt and climbs under the blanket.

"Ugh, you're freezing!" Alucard shivers as their bodies touch.

He envelopes Rhy in a tight embrace, burrying his face in his neck and moving his lips over his skin.

"Allow me to remedy that, my king."

***

The sweetest moment of each day is also the one that feels most surreal, as it is lasting an eternity and passing by in a second at the same time. 

Right after waking up, his mind still muddled with sleep, the universe is reduced to this very moment and the bed they share. 

There is no space yet for unpleasant memories or worries about an uncertain future. 

Just the heavy weight of his body, the light touch of the blankets.

Breathing in, his familiar scent, the morning air.  


Breathing out, feeling the soft reverberation as the stream of air hits the shoulder in front of him,  
  
closing his eyes again and leaning his head into the dark curls that gently caress his face.

Alucard moves carefully to release his tingling arm from its uncomfortable position.  


Last night comes back to him.   
  
Rhy has only once woken with a start and neither's dreams have been bad enough to leave them drenched in sweat.  
  
Which makes it a good night.

  
The more he wakes up, the more of the world outside of his small sanctuary starts scratching at the corners of his mind.  
  
A ray of sun, a faint sound of footsteps and voices. 

No, not yet...   


He pulls the blanket higher up and nestles his face in Rhy's collar, evoking a sleepy murmur and a deep sigh. 

  
Alucard would love to just lay there and let him sleep, watch his chest slowly heaving,   
relishing the warmth emanating from the spaces where their bodies touch,   
feeling his own heartbeat and the shared rhythm of their breaths. 

But by now he can tell from the angle at which the light falls into the room that they don't have enough time.  
  
Soon the footsteps will start to increase and other sounds mix in, then the morning bells in the courtyard will ring, and the little peace they have is broken.

Rhy will be the King, and Alucard the one to secretly sneak out over the balcony.

During the last months they have found their routine - the first to wake up will kiss the other awake.  


They both value the short quiet moment they can therefor share together over the additional sleep.  


Afterwards their ways will part for the day, during which they might only be catching glimpses of each other.  


And when they meet again after dark, either exhaustion or lust prevails and benights them.

Rhy's eyelids flutter. He tilts his head slightly to meet Alucard's lips in a tired kiss.

He, too, seems unwilling to give up on the sweet transitional state between sleep and awakening.

Alucard, painfully aware that he can't let him slip again, continues to place soft pecks on his face until the king groans and opens his eyes drowsily.

"Good morning!" he croacks with a voice hoarse from sleep. "Is it so late already?"

  
"I'm afraid so, dear."  
  
Alucard chuckles at Rhy's futile attempt to burry himself in the blankets and under the other man's body.

He swiftly rolls himself on top of Rhy, entangling their legs and burrowing his fingers in the disheveled curls spread out on the pillow. 

His mouth finds a bared stretch of the king's neck and he grins, as he hears a satisfactory moan next to his ear.

He feels the heat rushing through his body, just as the first of the morning bells starts ringing in the courtyard.

Rhy lets out another long drawn groan, but this time with frustration, not with pleasure, and gently pushes Alucard off of him.

"Sanct, I'm so fed up with this. Every morning the same... We never have enough time." he complains while sitting up, looking grim.  


"This charade, all the secrecy, the sneaking around behind everyone's backs... This has to come to an end soon or I'll go mad about it."

A sweeping feeling overcomes Alucard as if he's falling, falling...  


There are several corners in his mind where he never looks.  


That he keeps locked in the dark and doesn't acknowledge their existence.  


Unless something, or someone, forcefully makes him look.  


And then it's there, all of a sudden, too much to bear and his mind goes blank and he feels guilty that, once again, he is not prepared. 

It should not surprise him.  
  
Of course Rhy would neither be able nor willing to keep playing their game forever, he'd grow bored sooner or later, or they'd be found out.  
  
The king has to prioritize his own future and the fate of Arnes. And for himself, Alucard could  not really see any place in that future. 

Unaware of Alucard's stirred state, Rhy continues impassively, his face lighting up again.

"There is something I have been thinking about. What do you even call a king's husband?" 

"What?" Alucard snaps out of his racing thoughts.

  
"We can't both be king, that's not how it works. And I doubt that Queen is a fitting title... I mean, I wouldn't mind calling you my queen, if you're into that, but..."

  
"Stop!" Alucard interrupts him, holding up a hand and taking a deep breath to focus.  
  
"I have the feeling you're trying to tell me something important, but you don't make any sense. You can't possibly be suggesting what I think you are suggesting!"

  
  
"Oh, I'm not only suggesting, love. I want us to get married."

Now Alucard feels like falling again, light-headed, his heart jumps up to hammer in his throat and his voice comes in an uncharacteristically high pitch.

"But...what? What? How? That's completely impossible! Sanct, why would you even suggest that! You are the fucking king of Arnes, Rhy!"

  
"Oh, and you are fucking the king of Arnes, my dear!"  
  
Rhy winks at him with a smug smile on his face.  


"If that is not reason enough, may I remind you that your heritage and  education make you a suitable candidate?  
  
You are both powerful and intelligent and your experience from your travels will be highly valuable in our diplomatic endeavours.  
  
You have proven yourself loyal to both me and the kingdom, and you have a kind heart and are dashingly handsome. Just fit for a king like me."

Alucard takes a deep breath, trying to either make sense of what he is hearing or to find out if he is still asleep and actually dreaming.  
  
He wants to steady his voice, but it still shakes as he replies.

"While I am flattered, may I remind you that I am lacking one specific quality that you should be looking for in a partner?" 

He gestures down his body and raises a suggestive eyebrow.

"Alucard, do you really believe that all royal marriages throughout the ages have been fruitful?  
  
Sometimes... things just don't happen as intended, and then... other solutions are found, external help is called upon... you know." 

Rhy's face grows serious.  
  
"Arnes needs strong leadership and stability from the crown and the royal family to rebuild the state and to give our people hope and trust in our future. 

You are my family now, Alucard. With Kell gone, I have noone else left.  
  
You give me the strength to go about my day. I can't even fall asleep without you. I need you with me.  
  
And I want you out there by my side. It is not fair to keep hiding you." 

  
Rhy pauses, a slight flicker of uncertainty passing his expression for the first time. 

"Unless that is not what you want...?"

  
"Of course I want that!" Alucard bursts out.  
  
"I just... I would have never even dared to think about... Sanct, if my father knew!"  
  
He stiffles a bitter laugh, and to his own surprise, feels his eyes well up.

Rhy places a hand on his cheek, tracing the silver lines on his skin with his thumb, and gently kisses his forehead. 

"It will all be well, I promise I will make this happen for us. First I have to talk to Tieren. He will help us come up with a plan." 

The determination makes Rhy's eyes sparkle. 

"And tonight we will celebrate, just the two of us. I want to see you in a crown... and nothing else!"

***

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading about this cute moment just as I did writing it. Can I just say I'm really not into weddings? But for these two I really hope they can become king and... ?
> 
> <3 Your comments & kudos make my day!


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